CSU music graduate to debut at Carnegie Hall

Columbus State University has proudly announced that one oftheir graduates from the Schwob School of Music is set to make her CarnegieHall debut in October.

Tzu-yiChen, an award-winning pianist who received an artist's diploma from CSU in2013, will perform in the New York City landmark's Weill Recital Hall at 8 p.m.Saturday, Oct. 11. Her concert will feature works by Mozart, Brahms, Mussorgskyand a Taiwanese composer, Winnie Lan-yin Yang.

Anative of Taiwan, Chen said she first became aware of the piano at age 3, whenshe insisted on sitting with her 5-year-old brother during his piano lessonsinstead of waiting with her mother.

"Iwas overtaken by the music," Chen said, and she was soon enrolled in pianolessons.

Aftergraduating from Columbus State in May 2013, Chen was hired by CSU's Schwobschool as a staff pianist and as an instructor in its Preparatory Division,where she co-founded the International Friendship Ministries' Arts Academy,teaching children and youth, attempting to draw from them what she discoveredas a child.

Recently, she moved from Midland, Ga. to Washington, D.C., where she hasbeen hired as music director at the capital's Taiwanese Presbyterian Church,also pursuing performing opportunities.

Chen'sCarnegie Hall debut came at the invitation of Distinguished ConcertsInternational New York, which regularly books performers for Carnegie Hall andanother NYC landmark, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.